Far Cry 6 Features Third-Person Gameplay So Players Can Connect To Dani And Their Journey

Far Cry 6 will feature moments where the game transitions to a third-person perspective. Those moments won't just be limited to cutscenes either--you'll see that POV shift during certain parts of combat and when protagonist Dani Royas enters guerrilla camps.

In an emailed response to GameSpot, narrative director Navid Khavari wrote that there are "a few reasons" for why Far Cry 6 shifts perspectives. The change is mainly to better highlight Dani as a character, though there are gameplay ramifications too.

"In cinematics, [third-person] is something the team tried early on, and it felt surprisingly seamless," Khavari wrote. "It instantly felt like there was more of a connection to Dani's journey in the world, more of a connection to this epic story in Yara."

"Players will also be able to see their character customizations in these highly-realized story beats. In Guerrilla Camps, this is also an opportunity for players to be able to see their fully customized character, everything from their backpack to their clothes."

As mentioned before, you'll also shift to third-person when in guerilla camps--that wasn't just a cinematic choice for the Far Cry 6 gameplay trailer. So while in hubs, you'll be able to see your Dani as you speak to other characters, similarly to third-person RPGs like The Witcher, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed.

Khavari writes that the intended effect of seeing the interaction play out in front of you is to make Dani feel like an actual character that exists within the space you're exploring--they're "a member of the camp." As soon as you leave the camp, the camera zooms back in and returns to first-person.

The only other time that the camera shifts to third-person is when you use a Supremo backpack. As seen in the Far Cry 6 gameplay trailer, these backpacks unlock powerful abilities for Dani, like a flamethrower or missile barrage. "In the Supremo backpack moments during gameplay, the third-person transition is intended so players can see all of the backpack's effects, and better feel its impact in action," Khavari writes.

All in all, this is a far cry (heh) from Far Cry 5, which played out entirely in first-person and featured a completely silent protagonist in "the Deputy" who you never got to see in the game, not even in cutscenes, outside of the character creator and clothes customization window. As a result, the Deputy never felt like an actual presence in the game's story. I'm hopeful that that won't be the case for Dani based on Ubisoft Toronto's decision to include the character in conversations.

More Far Cry 6

• Far Cry 6: The Choice Of Protagonist Dani Royas' Gender Was "Important To Us," Says Narrative Director
• Far Cry 6 Features Online Co-Op Play In Campaign
• Far Cry 6's NPC Amigos Are All Various Animals

Far Cry 6 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on October 7.